Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-18
TIE CHRISTOPHER.
How to Destroy Them-Sacramento CO u
ty Farmers Recominp Alarmed


~ Farmers Becoming Alarmed.
The editor of the Gait Gazette who is
considered an authority on all insect pests,
and one of the most scientific bugologists
upon the Coast, thus discourses upon the
grasshopper:
The farmers in the vicinity of Clay
station, and south of this point to Dry
Creek, are becoming alarmed over the sud-
den appearance of myriads of young grass
hoppers, and much danger of plague is
apprehended. Two years ago this insect
pest did great damage in that vicinity, not
only to the growing crops and pasture, but
totally destroyed the young vineyards and
berry patches. Vegetation of whatsoever
kind suffered and the farmers lost heavily
| from the ravages of locusts. The partially
bare ground south and east OF Clay, where
| the young locusts are seen most plentiful
| is generally the kind of land selected for
| Matching purposes. The eggs are usually
| deposited
ONE INCH UNDER GROUND,
And the time of hatching varies greatly in
different ATTITUDES, at various attitudes, and
at different times of the year. The pres
| ence or absence of warm or cold rains,
! too, seems to make a difference. OF
| course it is quite necessary that certain
degree of heat be present, as also certain
| amount or moisture. Sometimes it ap-
! pears that eggs will hatch in compare
| lively short time, and at others, when
| there is no perceptible variance in the con-
| ditions, 1t requires much longer. Some
eggs, too, lie over one year before hatch
| ing, and chronological writers go so far as
to state that locust eggs will hatch after
| having been deposited two years in the
ground. The young, after Matching. re-
quire from forty to sixty days in which to
mature. Soon after Matching the little fell
| lows beg in travelling in search of food. as
| they are generally Matched on ground par
| TALLY bare. They travel in droves, thus imi-
| tatlng in the start the peculiar traits of the
| species. These droves become scattered
as from time to time they move on in their
| half -famished search for food, and in the
| course of their growth become so scattered
and mixed up that by the time of matur-
| ing hardly any two of single brood are
| together. As soon as everything is favora-
BILE, which is on the first fine morning
with a pretty brisk breeze, with one ac-
cord numbers spring into the air, and begin
| RISING IN A CIRCULAR MANNER
| Until they have attained sufficient altitude,
when they permit the wind to carry them
along. During flight their position is gen
| orally face to the wind, and partially ele-
waited. Having mentioned few character
istics pertaining to the natural history of
| locusts, it might be well to add a suggestive
| remedy for their destruction. If the locus:s
are on an open, free place, one must dig a
| ditch across their way in front of them.
The larger the ditch the better. One must
cover the ditch with boards, and make a
door double folding) in the center A lot
of men must drive hoppers into the hole
with branches and shouts, and some others
stand near and brush them in with brooms.
| If they try to get out drive them back.
Once filled with the insects the hole must
| be covered up with dry grass, and fire put
| to it. However, even after that some of
them will be alive at the bottom of the
| ditch. For that purpose one will have to
bury the whole thing, and trample upon it.
And do the same the next day. One could
also make fire in the ditch beforehand,
and drive them into it. If the farmers in
the district above mentioned apprehend
| the serious results complained of by the
| numerous grasshoppers in their midst, the
sooner they enter into the work of extermi-
! mating them the better. BY taking advan-
tage of the earliest north wind successful
effort might be made to drive them south
| ward and into Dry creek, and the swift cur
rent in that stream would drown and carry
them off.